UK marine charity the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has called on the ‘devolved UK governments’ to move forward with policies to ban or reduce more single-use items.
The charity’s Beachwatch programme manager Lizzie Price is urging all four UK countries to reach a joint approach to expedite the proposed deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, the Guardian reported.
The UK government issued a revised timetable in April this year for the introduction of the DRS. It is now expected for a UK-wide rollout in 2027.
“We must move quicker towards a society that repairs, reuses and recycles,” Price emphasised.
The MCS’s 2023 beach litter report, which included 1,199 surveys, found that 97% of beaches had drinks-related litter.
The report also noted a 1.2% increase in overall plastic litter across the UK, with an average of 167 items per 100m.
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The items were small plastic pieces, packets, caps and lids, string and cord, and plastic bottles and containers.
The society’s beach cleaning efforts are ongoing, but a significant portion of data is collected during the Great British Beach Clean events.
The MCS, which has been tracking beach litter for more than 30 years, also revealed a significant 80% reduction in the number of plastic bags found on UK beaches since the introduction of mandatory charges for single-use carrier bags.
The annual litter survey noted a drop from an average of five bags every 100m in 2014 to just one in the past year.
“It is brilliant to see policies on single-use plastics such as carrier bags working,” said Price.
